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Rendezvous au Marathon de Louisiane

Last weekend, Ron and I headed to Baton Rouge for the big race. We have been training for the race since August, so we were excited for the big day. A couple of weeks prior, I injured my hip flexor/groin muscles in our last long training run, so after resting it and hoping it would get better (without much luck) I finally decided to try a sports chiropractor as a last-ditch effort. He worked on me 3 times the week before the race and gave me the go-ahead for the long run before we made the drive. Ron was feeling good!

Lucky us, Valine and Kirk let us stay with them for the weekend. And when I tell you it was better than any B&B you'll ever find, I mean it!! Being with your best friend is a treat all by itself, but they fed us and let us rest and even cheered us on.

Saturday, we went downtown to the Expo where we picked up our packets and browsed the goods.

After a demonstration on Ron's calves, we came home with this:

I think it will forever be our best "frenemy"!
After the expo, we met Valine and Maegan for lunch and then drove around town to check out the route, which was really pretty, but had a few hills that we weren't quite expecting.

With our clothes and gear all laid out,

we slept soundly the night before, waking up EARLY Sunday morning. Valine even got up to take our picture before we left ---THAT'S a good friend! (Ron is looking pretty sleepy in this picture)

The race began and ended at the capitol and the whole event was very well organized. Unfortunately, from the first step I took after the send-off, I felt pain----not debilitating, not enough to stop, but pain nonetheless and that made it a very hard, 13.1 mile run for me.

Along the way, there were groups of random strangers cheering us on and offering us water and PowerAde, but I can't tell you how much it means to look up and see this waiting for you!! ;-) Twice!!---at mile 3 and again at mile 10, when I REALLY needed it!!

I finished the race, got my medal and enjoyed watching other friends come across the finish line (although many were ahead of me, too).

This is Becky and Dennis---Jordan's parents. Dennis ran the half and Becky walked her first half-marathon!

But, my favorite part was watching Ron come across the finish line. I had been getting tracking updates, so I knew approximately when to expect him, but it was so fun to see him make that last turn and come down the street. I could tell he was tired, but I thought he looked great after completing his very first (and possibly only) marathon!!

I had a 26.2 magnet waiting for Ron, so on the way back to Shreveport on Monday, during one of our frequent "stretching breaks", he put it on the car.

The rest of the weekend (and even now, actually) was spent resting and relaxing and TRYING to walk, without too much limping. I was expecting for Ron to be really sore and stiff, but wasn't prepared for how bad I felt. At this point, I'm not sure whether I'll ever run another Half-marathon---I may stick to shorter distances like 5 and 10K's, but regardless, I do know that I will never run a race again when I am already hurting to begin with.